Well, I have completed my first birth experience that counts toward my training. About 11 days ago, I received a call from one of my clients that she was officially in labor. It was about 11 p.m. on Saturday night and I headed out the door to meet the couple at the hospital.
When I arrived, they were just checking into triage and she was having very regular contractions. Once she was checked by a doctor, they gave the report that she was 5 cm and transferred her to a labor/delivery room. I met them at the room and we got everything set up for the long night. The couple worked beautifully together and allowed me to get some "hands on" experience by massaging mom's back during contractions.
This continued until about 3:30 a.m. when mom asked the nurse for the epidural. After receiving the epidural, mom (and dad) got a chance to rest. They slept off and on and after several hours, mom was checked by the nurse to see her progression. Unfortunately she was still at 6-7cm and they suggested pitocin. After weighing the pros/cons she agreed. By 10:30 a.m. she was ready to push.
She had a WONDERFUL nurse that helped her try several different positions and did everything possible to help that baby move down. It took lots of hard work and over 2 hours of pushing, but she delivered a healthy baby boy.
It was another amazing experience and I LOVED being a part of it! It reminded me why I am doing what I am doing. I cannot wait for my next client to go into labor and to have the privilege again to welcome one of God's greatest miracles into this world!
